Faculty and Research Units
OIST research units take a cross-disciplinary approach to research, and the PhD program encourages students to explore the intersections of disparate fields of science and technology. Find the research unit of your interest below.
Faculty and Research Units
Find a Faculty Member or Research Unit
Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit
The Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit explores how ecological and evolutionary processes generate and sustain biodiversity, and how those processes are being altered by human activities.
Evan P. Economo
Professor
Biological Complexity Unit
The Biological Complexity Unit studies how biophysical systems, ranging from subcellular circuits to cellular populations, can function despite being subject to random fluctuations.
Simone Pigolotti
Professor
Biological Nonlinear Dynamics Data Science Unit
The biological nonlinear dynamics data science unit investigates complex systems explicitly taking into account the role of time. We do this by instead of averaging occurrences using their statistics, we treat observations as frames of a movie and if patterns reoccur then we can use their behaviors in the past to predict their future. In most cases the systems that we study are part of complex networks of interactions and cover multiple scales. These include but are not limited to systems neuroscience, gene expression, posttranscriptional regulatory processes, to ecology, but also include societal and economic systems that have complex interdependencies. The processes that we are most interested in are those where the data has a particular geometry known as low dimensional manifolds. These are geometrical objects generated from embeddings of data that allows us to predict their future behaviors, investigate causal relationships, find if a system is becoming unstable, find early warning signs of critical transitions or catastrophes and more. Our computational approaches are based on tools that have their origin in the generalized Takens theorem, and are collectively known as empirical dynamic modeling (EDM). As a lab we are both a wet and dry lab where we design wet lab experiments that maximize the capabilities of our mathematical methods. The results from this data driven science approach then allows us to generate mechanistic hypotheses that can be again tested experimentally for empirical confirmation. This approach merges traditional hypothesis driven science and the more modern Data driven science approaches into a single virtuous cycle of discovery.
Gerald Pao
Assistant Professor
Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit
The Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit is dedicated to investigating the principles of embodied cognition by conducting experimental studies in synthetic neurorobotics. The primary goals of our research are to understand:on how innate structures can be leveraged to develop cognitive constructs through iterative but limited behavioral experiences; how primary intersubjectivity in social cognition can be formed through enactive and contextual interactions with others; and how subjective experiences such as consciousness and free will can be scientifically and phenomenologically explained. In addition, our developmental neurorobotics approach is intended to uncover the underlying mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. Through these researches, we can expect to deepen our ontological understanding of human beings, rather than simply creating another smart machine-learning robot.
Jun Tani
Professor
Complexity Science and Evolution Unit
The CSE Unit analyzes the dynamics of complex adaptive systems, focusing on behavioral dynamics shaping social systems, eco-evolutionary dynamics shaping ecosystems, and their interactions.
Ulf Dieckmann
Professor
Computational Neuroethology Unit
The Computational Neuroethology Unit seeks to uncover the principles governing animal behavior and its neural basis. We are currently focusing on cephalopods: squid, octopus, and cuttlefish.
Sam Reiter
Assistant Professor
Computational Neuroscience Unit
We study how neurons and microcircuits in the brain operate and explore the influences of neuronal morphology and excitability on common neural functions such as synaptic plasticity and learning, and determine how molecular mechanisms enable these functions.
Erik De Schutter
Professor
Developmental Neurobiology Unit
Developmental Neurobiology Unit uses zebrafish retina as a model to study mechanisms that control neuronal differentiation and circuit formation, and neuronal degeneration and regeneration.
Ichiro Masai
Professor
Embodied Cognitive Science Unit
We are developing theoretical and experimental projects in cognitive science, guided by the hypothesis that agent-environment interaction is an essential part of mental activity.
Tom Froese
Assistant Professor
Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit
Research projects of the Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit include (1) anatomical and physiological dissections of the nervous systems of basal metazoans, mainly on diffused and regionally cond...
Hiroshi Watanabe
Associate Professor
Femtosecond Spectroscopy Unit
Utilizing cutting-edge time-resolved techniques, including ultrafast PEEM and ARPES, the Femtosecond Spectroscopy Unit explores extreme light-matter interaction on the nanometer and femtosecond scale.
Keshav M. Dani
Professor
Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit
The Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit investigates the nature and causes of ADHD, including reward sensitivity, translating this information into empirically supported treatments.
Gail Tripp
Professor
Integrated Open Systems Unit
The Integrated Open Systems Unit aims to understand the fundamental principles that govern open, complex systems and apply such knowledge for real-world applications
Hiroaki Kitano
Professor (Adjunct)
Light-Matter Interactions for Quantum Technologies Unit
We study interactions between small particles, such as atoms, and laser light using nano-optics tools, to better understand light’s influences on dynamics.
Síle Nic Chormaic
Professor
Membrane Cooperativity Unit
We develop methods for single-molecule imaging and analysis, and apply them to unravel the mechanisms by which the cellular plasma membrane perform signaling and synaptic transmission.
Akihiro Kusumi
Professor
Memory Research Unit
Memory Research Unit aims to know how memories are formed and used in the brain. However, the hippocampal contribution remains unclear. Our goal is to understand its role in memory.
Kazumasa Tanaka
Assistant Professor
Model-Based Evolutionary Genomics Unit
The Model-Based Evolutionary Genomics Unit works at the crossroads of computational and evolutionary biology. Our long-term goal is to achieve an integrative understanding of the evolution of Life on Earth and the origins and emergence of complexity across different biological scales, from individual proteins to ecosystems. To move towards this goal, we develop and apply model-driven evolutionary genomics methods to reconstruct the Tree of Life and the major evolutionary transitions that have occurred along its branches.
Gergely János Szöllősi
Associate Professor
Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit
The Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit investigates the structure of macromolecular complexes with an emphasis on viruses, ion channels, and membrane proteins. The unit seeks better und...
Matthias Wolf
Professor